Folding crate.



No. 819,837. PATENTED MAY 8, 1906.

0. L. ANDERSON.

FOLDING CRATE. APPLICATION FILED MAYII, 1905.

z SHEETS-'SHEET I.

I Witnesses L' m7150727 Inventor.

by mf L.,

Attorneys No. 819,837. l PATENTED MAY 8, 1906.

0. L. ANDERSON. FOLDING CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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Witnesses ,Andz/ Inventor.

OLIVER LACY ANDERSON, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

FOLDING CRATE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1906.

Application led May 11,1905. Serial No. 259,943.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLivER LACY ANDER- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Folding Crate, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to folding crates or coops for the transportation of vegetables, poultry, and the like, the principal object of the invention being to present a device of this class of simple and efficient construction which when emptied of its contents may be conveniently and securely folded in small compass for return shipment. Other objects of the invention are to provide a device of the class referred to which shall possess superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability, and general efficiency.

With these and other ends in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts,which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of embodiment of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that the right is reserved to any changes, alterations, and modifications to which recourse may be had within the scope of the invention and without departing from the spirit orsacrificing the efficiency of the same.

ln said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the device extended and ready for use. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view likewise showing the device extended. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the device folded for transportation. Fig. 4 is a perspective detail view showing the locking device whereby the top members are connected with the side members when the device is in extended position. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing one of the upper corners of the device extended, said figure being somewhat enlarged to `clearly illustrate the corner-lock. Fig. 6 is a detail plan view showing an upper corner of the frame of the device extended. Fig. 7 is a sectional detail view taken on the plane indicated by the line 7 7 in Fig. 3.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout by similar characters of reference.

The bottom 1 of the improved crate or coop is preferably solid and is provided along the side edges thereof with flanges 2 2, adjacent to the upper edges of which are supported longitudinal hinge-rods 3 3, which are slightly spaced above the upper edges of the fiange members 2, said hinge-rods being preferably provided with downturned ends which are suitably connected with said iiange members, as will be seen at 4. The flange members 2 2 are connected at their respective ends by means of transverse hinge-rods 5 and 6, the latter being disposed in a higher plane than the former.

Hingedly connected with the rods 5 and 6,

as by means of screw-eyes 7, are the end members 8 8 of the crate, which may, if desired, be solid, but which have in the illustrations been shown as composed of frames having a filling of netting, it being of course understood that a filling or paneling of slats or the like may be substituted, if preferred. Hingedly connected with the upper edges of the end members 8 are the top members 9, which have also been shown as consisting of frames provided with a filling or paneling of wire-netting.

The side members 10 10, which are hingedly mounted upon the rods 3, as by means of screw eyes 11, have also been shown as composed of frames having a filling of wire-netting. Said side members are provided at their upper corners with straps 12, secured exteriorly upon said side members and terminating in inwardly-extending hook members 13, adapted for engagement with notches 14 near the upper corners of the end members 8, to thereby secure the side members and the end membersin related position when the crate is extended for use. Mounted upon the inner sides of the side members 10, at the upper corners of the latter, are leafsprings 15, the free ends of which are extended in the path of the edges of the side members, so that when the side members and end members are brought together, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the free ends of the springs 15 will be pressed by the edges of the end members upon the side members, thereby exercising a degree of tension which is useful in retaining the hook members 13 in locked engagement with the notches 14.

Upon the free edges of the top members 9,

which when the crate or coop 1s extended IOO IIO

of the keeper with which abut upon each other, are pivoted locking members, which may be described `as consisting of inverted- L-shaped clips or plates 16 and 17 provided at their upper ends with laterally-extending lugs 18 for the passage of supporting means, such as screws 19, whereby they are pivotally mounted upon the edges of the top members 9, said top members being preferably provided with recesses 20 for the accommodation of the locking members and their supporting-lugs, which are thus permitted to lie flush with the ends and edges of the top members, at the corners of the latter. The L-shaped member 17 is provided near its lower edgewith a laterallyextending lug 21. The side members 10 of the crate are provided upon their inner sides near their upper edges with keepers 22 for the reception of the locking members 16 and 17, the engaging shanks or portions of which are of a combined width equal to the length they are placed in engagement. It will thus be seen that in order to effect the engagement between the locking members and the keeper it will be necessary to first insert into the latter the locking member 17 and to move the latter lengthwise within the keeper until the lug21 extends beyond the end wall of the latter. The locking member 16 being afterward inserted will serve as a key to prevent the withdrawal of the locking member 17 as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 4 of the drawings. Similarly in folding or knocking down the crate the top member having the locking members 16 must be disengaged from the keepers to make possible the disengagement of the locking members 17.

The free edges of the top members are connected together when the crate is extended by means of a pair of turn-buttons 23, mounted upon the upper and lower ends of a shank 24, which turns pivotally in one of the top members, centrally upon and near the free edge of the latter, so as to be capable of overlapping the opposite top member, as will be clearly seen in Fig. 1.

When the improved coop or crate is in extended position, the folding members thereof-viz., the end members, the sides, and the top members*will be sustained in extended relation to one another by means of the hooks 13, the locking members 16 and 17 and the turn-buttons 23. To fold the device for transportation, the turn-buttons are manipulated to release the top member having the locking members 16, which latter are disengaged from the keeper, thus enabling the locking members 17 of the other top member to be likewise released. The end member connected with the lower hinge-rod 5 is then folded flat upon the bottom 1, the top member connected with said end member being likewise extended flat upon the bottom, as will be seen in Fig. 3, the pivotally-supported locking members 16 and 17 being folded under the end member, so as to occupy no space in excess of the thickness of the material of which they are composed. The opposite end member and top members are next folded flat upon thefirst end member and top member, and the side members are finally folded down in the direction of each other. In the drawings the said side members have been shown as meeting each other,- but they may be overlapped, if desired. When the side members have been folded, they may be secured by placing the hook members 13 in engagement with the hinge-rods 5 and 6, said rods and hooks being possessed of sufficient resiliency to enable them to be sprung together, as will be readily understood, said locking adjustment being also facilitated by the fact that the side members are capable of a limited longitudinally-sliding movement upon the hinge-rods 3.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a bottom member having side flanges, hinge-rods connecting said side flanges at the ends thereof, one of said rods being located in a plane above the other rod, hinge-rods supportedA above and adjacent to the upper edges of the side flanges, end members .connected hingedly with the end rods and having notches near their upper corners, side members mounted hingedly upon the rods above the side flanges, and hook members connected with said side members and adapted for engagement with the notches near the upper corners of the end members when the device is extended and with the end-supporting hinge-rods when the device is folded.

2. In a device of the class described, a bottom member having side flanges, hinge-rods supported above and adjacent to said side flanges, transversely-disposed hinge-rods connecting the side flanges near the ends thereof, side members connected hingedly and slidably with the rods supported above the side flanges, and hooks upon said side members adapted for engagement with the transverse hinge-rods.

3. In a device of the class described, hingedly-supported side members, hingedly-supported end members,`top members connected hingedly with the upper edges of the lend members, keepers upon the inner sides of the side members, and locking members connected with the top members said locking members including keeper-engaging shanks one of'vihich is provided with a laterally-extending ug.

4. In a device of the class described, hingedly-supported side members, hingedly-sup- 1ported end members, top members connected ingedly with the upper edges of the end members, keepers upon the inner sides of the side members, and locking members connect- IOO ed With the top members; said locking members including keeper-engaging shanks having laterally-extending lugs supported pivotally upon the abutting edges of the end members whereby said shanks may be folded under said end members.

5. Side members having keepers upon their inner sides near their upper edges, hingedly-supported top members having meeting edges disposed in registry With the keepers, and locking members pivoted upon the abutting edges of the top members and capable of folding under the latter; said locking members including keeper-engaging shanks one of yvhich is provided With a laterally-extending 6. In a device ofthe class described7 a bottom member having side flanges, hinge-rods supported above and adjacent to the upper edges of said flanges, transverse rods connecting said flanges near the ends thereof, side members hingedly supported upon the hingerods above the side flanges, end members hingedly supported upon the transverse rods and having recesses near their upper corners, hooks upon the side members adapted for engagement With said recesses, top members connected hingedly With the end members, keepers upon the inner sides of the side mem-l bers in registry With the meeting edges of the top members, keeper-engaging locking members pivoted upon said top members, and a double turn-button connected With one of said top members.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my oWn I have hereto a'HiXed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

OLIVER LACY ANDERSON.

Witnesses:

S. J. ANDERSON. S. A. HAYDEN. 

